Another Way to Exit

January Partners provides business owners with a different way to realize liquidity than traditional private equity or a strategic sale. We supply both Liquidity and Leadership. Business owners may achieve liquidity and the ability to step back from daily management, while the company remains independent and grows under new leadership and a sophisticated board.

• Focus: We will only acquire one business rather than spread ourselves thin across dozens of portfolio companies.
• Leadership: Our principal will assume full time day-to-day management duties post acquisition.
• Independence: The company remains independent and employees and customers grow along with it.
• Long-Term: Our investors believe that building great companies takes time. We are not tied to the 3-5 year fundraising cycle of typical private equity groups.
• Experience: Our principal and investors know how to run and grow companies because they’ve done it themselves.

Sophisticated Investors

January Partners is financially backed by nearly 40 prominent investors who have invested together for 30 years in small- to medium-sized companies. Our investors consist of:

• 19 current and former CEO/Presidents
• 16 partners at institutional investment firms
• 5 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winners
• Professors at Harvard and Stanford business schools

Please visit our Team page to learn more about our principal and investors.

		Private Equity	Strategic Sale
Role of Owner	Flexible: full exit, consulting, board, etc.	Multi-year commitment	Division manager at best
Deal Terms	Flexible	High leverage	Cash & stock (lockup?)
Horizon	Long-term	3-5 years (fund life)	Unclear
Strategy	Growth	Financial engineering	Eliminate costs
Importance to Acquirer	Sole investment	Part of large portfolio	Division of big company
Governance	Energetic new leadership and board	Scrutiny by distant board	Layers of management above
Employees	Protected with more growth opportunities	Protected?	Layoffs likely
Culture	Preserved and enhanced	Uncertain	Bureaucratic
Brand	Preserved and enhanced	Preserved?	Disappears
Customers	Protected and strengthened	Preserved	Alienated